Hi Bones,
I feel like I should should ask if I can "chime in" but I think it is better than "lurking" here every day and eavesdropping on your thread.
I wanted to tell you I "follow along" and say that so much of what you write echoes and resonates and validates many of the things I think, feel etc and wanted to let you know that I may not be able to resist chiming in -- (not to imply that I have any Real way of Knowing any of that -- but my interpretation at least)
I had just read "Dear Abby" the other day right before you posted so I immediately knew what you meant about the cake woman -- on one hand, it would be so easy to write off her behavior but that means they all have to live with it! So SHE gets lots of cake, everyone DREADS cake days and she wins every dream of making everyone uncomfortable -- DIABOLICAL! I can hear Jeff Foxworthy saying, "she mi-ig-ht be a narcissist!" And just reading the letter gave me one of the PTSD moments (minor?) -- not that exact situation but that "creeped out" feeling. I am more sensitized than ever to wanting to "run for the hills" when anyone around starts displaying those traits.
Thanks again,
Biddy
PS I get in trouble all the time for being too Blunt -- apologies in advance all!
Hi, Biddy!!!!!
You're more than welcome to "chime in"! I LOVE the Jeff Foxworthy reference!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!

And I can related to the "creeped out" feeling and the urge to run for the hills when dealing with anyone displaying Narcissistic traits! BTW, I also tend to get blunt, in person, when someone attempts to violate boundaries....whether mine or someone else's. If I may share an incident that occurred over the weekend.....
I was out to dinner with a group of like-minded people when the discussion came up regarding a recent science fiction convention. (I've come to suspect that one of the members of our group is a Passive-Aggressive Narcissist.) While talking about the convention, that some of the group members attended, this "P-A-N" started WHINING that another member DIDN'T GIVE HIM A WAKE-UP CALL!!!!!! (Mind you, this P-A-N is FIFTY-SOMETHING YEARS OLD, has a BAD habit of laying around in bed UNTIL PAST NOON, and not only expects others to get him up, he goes so far as to DEMAND IT and then WHINES when others refuse to comply!) As he continued to monopolize the conversation with his whining guilt-trip, I loudly barked at him: "I BEG YOUR PARDON?!?!?!? EXCU-U-U-SE ME?!?!?!?" His response was to give us all the "blank stare". (*Shakes head*)
Speaking of N's who seem to enjoy hijacking dinner conversations, like the P-A-N from this past weekend, today's "Dear Abby" might ring some familiar bells:
http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20100315Bones